1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sights for use with firearms, and, more particularly, to a rear sight for use in an AR-15/M-16 type A2 style upper receiver/flat top A2 adapter, and variants thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
Precious time and money are spent on meticulous ammunition preparation, and the pinnacle of firearms technology. Premium barrel, trigger, and reloading components are expertly assembled, then carefully tested for compatibility, fit, and consistency. Yet this firearm, and each round it delivers, is only equal to the sighting system it is aimed with. Every time the sight teeters between shots, or fails to track with an adjustment (backlash), it has undermined good sight alignment and ammunition preparation with mechanical sabotage.
Conventional rear sights suffer the disadvantage of being inconsistent. For example, conventional rear sights typically teeter between shots and/or fail to accurately track with an adjustment (backlash). While some conventional rear sights are available with a mechanism for adjusting the elevation of the sight, the adjustment mechanism provided in such conventional rear sights is, generally, inadequate to meet the precision, reliability, repeatability, and range of elevation required and, indeed, demanded by marksman and firearm professionals. Further, such conventional rear sights, typically, require extensive gunsmithing and modification to the firearm to ensure proper installation and use, even with these inherent drawbacks. An example of a conventional rear sight is shown in Appendix A and labeled xe2x80x9cOutdated Technologyxe2x80x9dxe2x80x94xe2x80x9cWobbly Sights.xe2x80x9d
In the design of the conventional rear sight shown in Example A, the thumbwheel is directly mated with the sight housingxe2x80x94i.e., the thumbwheel is threaded and directly mated to the threaded portion of the sight housing. Direct mating designs are inherently flawed and result in the above-described problems with precision, reliability, repeatability, and range of elevation. There is a need for a rear sight design that overcomes the limited stability, precision, and range of elevation inherent in such conventional rear sight designs, that is capable of being installed and used without extensive gunsmithing.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a rear sight which does not teeter between shots and/or fail to accurately track with an adjustment (backlash).
It is another object of this invention to provide a rear sight apparatus for a firearm that meets the precision, reliability, repeatability, and range of elevation required by marksman and firearm professionals.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a rear sight apparatus which is designed to be installed and used without extensive gunsmithing and modifications to the firearm with which the rear sight is being used.
These and other objects are achieved according to the present invention. The present invention provides a rear sight that overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of conventional rear sights. The rear sight apparatus of the present invention provides the precision, reliability, repeatability, and range of elevation required by marksman and firearm professionals every shot, each sight change, all yard lines, match after match. The rear sight of the present invention provides micrometer-like attributes and is designed to be installed and used without extensive gunsmithing.
In one embodiment, the rear sight of the present invention includes a sight housing and a threaded sleeve. The sight housing has a threaded male portion for insertion into the threaded sleeve. The threaded sleeve is connected to the firearm in such a way that it is able to rotate. Rotation of the threaded sleeve causes the sight housing to move up or down, depending on the direction of the rotation.
Preferably, the threaded sleeve is harbored between a top stationary bushing and a bottom stationary bushing, which offer increased multi-axis stability. These bushings are introduced within the firearms upper receiver component. They capture both ends of the threaded sleeve, allowing only calibrated rotation in the way of movement.
Advantageously, the rear sight also includes an elevation or thumb wheel for rotating the threaded sleeve. The thumb wheel encompasses the middle portion of the threaded sleeve and is slaved thereto with sufficient force to prevent slippage of the wheel. By slaving the thumb wheel to the threaded sleeve, the rotation of the thumb wheel causes the threaded sleeve to rotate.
Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.